White oak regeneration and upland oak habitat

(a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the Secretary) shall establish a nonregulatory program to be known as the White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program (referred to in this section as the Program). (b) Duties In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall— (1) draw upon the best available science and management plans for species of white oak to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and conservation activities that will improve the growth of white oak within the United States; (2) collaborate and coordinate with the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to prioritize white oak restoration initiatives; (3) adopt a white oak restoration strategy that— (A) supports the implementation of a shared set of science-based restoration and conservation activities developed in accordance with paragraph (1); (B) targets cost-effective projects with measurable results; and (C) maximizes restoration outcomes with no net gain of Federal full-time equivalent employees; and (4) establish the voluntary grant and technical assistance program in accordance with subsection (e). (c) Coordination In establishing the Program, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall consult with— (1) the heads of Federal agencies, including— (A) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (B) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; and (2) the Governor of each State in which restoration efforts will be carried out pursuant to the Program. (d) Purposes The purposes of the Program include— (1) coordinating restoration and conservation activities among Federal, State, local, and Tribal entities and conservation partners to address white oak restoration priorities; (2) improving and regenerating white oak and upland oak forests and the wildlife habitat such forests provide; (3) carrying out coordinated restoration and conservation activities that lead to the increased growth of species of white oak in native white oak regions on Federal, State, Tribal, and private land; (4) facilitating strategic planning to maximize the resilience of white oak systems and habitats under changing climate conditions; (5) engaging the public through outreach, education, and citizen involvement to increase capacity and support for coordinated restoration and conservation activities for species of white oak; and (6) increasing scientific capacity to support the planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary to carry out such coordinated restoration and conservation activities. (e) Grants and assistance (1) In general To the extent that funds are available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish a voluntary grant and technical assistance program (referred to in this subsection as the grant program) to achieve the purposes of the Program described in subsection (d). (2) Administration (A) In general The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (referred to in this subsection as the Foundation) to manage and administer the grant program. (B) Funding After the Secretary enters into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation under subparagraph (A), the Foundation shall— (i) for each fiscal year, receive amounts to carry out this subsection in an advance payment of the entire amount on October 1, or as soon as practicable thereafter, of that fiscal year; (ii) invest and reinvest such amounts for the benefit of the grant program; and (iii) otherwise administer the grant program to support partnerships between the public and private sectors in accordance with this section. (3) Application of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act Amounts received by the Foundation to carry out the grant program shall be subject to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), excluding section 10(a) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)).